The top 10 films on Melbourne screens

By
Jake Wilson

Nov. 9, 2012, 9 p.m.

In cinemas this week: 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Master and Seven Psychopaths.

1 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY(141 minutes) G

THE most ambitious science-fiction film ever made, Stanley Kubrick's 1968 collaboration with Arthur C. Clarke begins at the dawn of human history, jumps forward to show a disastrous voyage to outer space and ends with an enigmatic vision of rebirth. As adventurous in form as in content, this is one for the ages. 70-millimetre print. Astor, today, 7.30pm.

2 THE MASTER(137 minutes) MA

LOOSELY inspired by the early days of Scientology, Paul Thomas Anderson's latest focuses on the strange bond between a blustering prophet (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and a dangerously unstable World War II veteran (Joaquin Phoenix). Anderson remains an intensely dramatic filmmaker: every scene portrays some kind of power struggle, every aspect of his style is designed to keep us on edge. Selected.

3 THE BACHELORETTE(88 minutes) MA

LESLYE Headland's frequently hilarious chick flick has a great cast led by Kirsten Dunst, Lizzy Caplan and Isla Fisher as three highstrung friends who can't believe that the girl they once nicknamed Pigface (Rebel Wilson) is the first of their group to get married. Considering the emphasis on drugs, bodily fluids and general bitchiness, the tone is surprisingly sweet. Selected.

4 THE STORY OF FILM: AN ODYSSEY, EPISODES 1-3(180 minutes) MA

IRISH critic Mark Cousins' erudite 15-hour documentary on the history of cinema is a one-of-a-kind achievement — and thanks to Cousins' gifts for brevity and surprise, a celebration of the older art of storytelling as well. Focused on the silent era, these first three episodes screen as part of a marathon presentation running all weekend. Digitally projected. ACMI, today, 2.30pm.

5 THE SESSIONS(98 minutes) MA

A SEVERELY disabled poet and journalist (John Hawkes) sets out to lose his virginity at long last with the aid of a professional “sex surrogate” (Helen Hunt). Based on actual events, Ben Lewin's well-acted drama takes a straightforward approach, but the transactions at the heart of the story are anything but simple (review, page 21). Selected.

6 SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS(109 minutes) MA

PLAYWRIGHT turned filmmaker Martin McDonagh follows up In Bruges with another gruesome yet good-natured throwback to the 1990s, this one starring Colin Farrell as an Irish writer in Hollywood who gets in trouble while researching a screenplay titled (wait for it) Seven Psychopaths. Sam Rockwell as the hero's unhelpful friend heads a supporting cast filled with familiar faces. Selected.

7 HITLER'S CHILDREN(80 minutes) Unrated 18+

WILL there ever be an end to documentaries about the Third Reich? Probably not, and this well-made, harrowing production suggests why. Exploring how the descendants of Himmler, Goering and other high-ranking Nazis have coped with their family histories, it's a fresh chapter in a story that belongs to the present as well as the past. Screens as part of the Jewish International Film Festival. Digitally projected.Classic, tomorrow,6.45pm.

8 WHEN A WOLF FALLS IN LOVE WITH A SHEEP(90 minutes) PG

THIS quirky Taiwanese romantic comedy involves a young guy (Ko Kai) who works in a photocopy shop and a girl with a pixie cut (Chien Man-Shu) who draws cartoons of sheep. It works better than you might expect: beneath all the whimsy the situations are relatively banal, true to the mixture of excitement and boredom that defines most young lives. Cinema Nova.

9 THE SOUND OF MUSIC(174 minutes) G

THE famous 1965 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical stars Julie Andrews as a feisty Austrian studying to become a nun who is sent to be governess to a brood of adorable children. She melts the heart of her stern employer (Christopher Plummer) and defeats the Nazis with the power of song. A smash hit still popular today, it's totally schmaltzy and highly effective. Digitally projected. Astor, tomorrow, 1.30pm.

10 BUGSY MALONE(93 minutes) G

ALAN Parker's super-creepy 1976 gangster spoof features a cast of pre-adolescent guys and dolls — including Jodie Foster as the vamp Tallulah — who mime to Paul Williams songs and mow each other down with “splurge guns”. It's not everyone's idea of wholesome family entertainment, but it sticks in your head. 35-mil limetre print. ACMI, tomorrow, 10.30am and 1pm.